POLITICS

The basic and crucial political issue of our age is: capitalism versus socialism, or freedom versus statism. For decades, this issue has been silenced, suppressed, evaded, and hidden under the foggy, undefined rubber-terms of “conservatism” and “liberalism” which had lost their original meaning and could be stretched to mean all things to all men. – AYN RAND

Are Taxes “the Price We Pay for Civilization”?

I want to challenge the premise that the tax-funded welfare state is the ideal civilized society.

Truth vs. Words on China

It looks as though we’ve won. Officials inside and outside the Bush administration are hailing China’s positive response to our carefully crafted letter of regret as validation of the President’s “quiet diplomacy.” The truth, however, is...

The McCain-Feingold Indian Giving Loophole

deep-pocketed special interest group remains curiously silent amid the furor over campaign finance “reform”: Indian tribes. Why? You might think tribal leaders would be swarming Capitol Hill, joining other business groups and trade associations that are...

Grade Padding at Harvard University

Our colleges are losing touch with reality. The padded grades they’re giving out don’t help our students. Harvey C. Mansfield teaches political philosophy at Harvard University. And if there were a class in “how to get yourself into trouble with your...

Devaluation is Not the Answer

In the past few months, I’ve noticed a disturbing shift in attitude towards currency devaluation. An increasing number of economists and journalists are making comments approving currency devaluation as a way to boost economies and “gain...

Who Cares For A Green Latte at Starbucks?

On March 20th, environmentalist activists besieged Starbucks cafes all over the country. Their goal? To impose on the company, and on us, coffee lovers, their own idea of which ingredients should go into our lattes and cappuccinos. This latest campaign, organized by...

Where’s The Profit In Biotech?

Larry Ellison, founder and chairman of software giant Oracle, says that he’d go into genetic engineering if he were starting out in business today. Silicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr may have made a fortune investing in computer and Internet companies,...

Tax Cut Triggers…for Bigger Government

The budget surpluses over the next 10 years are expected to reach $5.6 trillion, yet Washington insiders are screaming that President Bush’s modest $1.6 trillion tax cut is too big. But if anything, it’s too small. The Bush tax cut is only about half the...

Random Thoughts

Random Thoughts

Random thoughts on the passing scene: Ad for a ski resort: “If swimming is so healthful, why are whales so fat?” Talk about cloning human beings recalls Winston Churchill’s comment about the secrets of the atom, “hitherto mercifully withheld...

The Other Education Crisis

Once a week, 9- and 10-year-old boys at Cleveland Elementary School in Washington, D.C., learn how to be gentlemen. They’re taught to take off their hats when they enter a building. They’re told to open doors for visitors. They learn how to respect each...

The Conservative Left and Tax Cuts

The Conservative Left and Tax Cuts

A Fox News liberal-conservative debate the other night was very revealing. The discussion was about tax cuts. The liberal (Mort Kondracke) said that tax cuts “are all about numbers.” The conservative (Fred Barnes) was quick to retort, “It’s not...

Bush’s Baseball Tax Fetish

What is it with some Republican leaders and baseball? When it comes to America’s national pastime, the party of lower taxes and less government leaves its principles in the dust. The lead GOP pitcher for sports pork is President Bush, who launched a federally...

The NASDAQ Plummet: A Truly Mean Reversion

Statisticians who watch the stock market are accustomed to using the phrase “mean reversion” to describe how returns from investing in equities tend to come back to their long-term averages after they diverge for awhile. The extraordinary period that ended...

The Role of “The Rich”

The Role of “The Rich”

A recent catalogue from the giant second-hand camera dealer KEH listed a Canon camera made for the Japanese navy during World War II. This model is described as one of only 15 such cameras made and as being still in excellent condition. Its price is $40,000. Most of...

PETA Should Rename Itself ‘The Inhumane Society’

I could tell it was a parody. “Dear Warden Lappin,” began the letter to the director of the federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind., where Timothy McVeigh is being held, “On behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), I am writing...

Friendship is Selfish

Cicero wrote that, “There is nothing more fatal to friendship than the greed of gain.” Although a popular sentiment, it’s a deeply mistaken one. Think about the friends you have. Try to make yourself aware of what you enjoy about those friends...

The Telecommunications Industry Lives

Every time I hear somebody deliver a eulogy for the telecommunications industry, I think of a wonderful analogy that makes me feel better. The argument that the telecommunications industry is dead goes something like this: There is enough capacity in long haul fiber...

John McCain, Traitor

It is time to put the John McCain myth to rest. For years, the national media and a gullible grass-roots following have glorified McCain as a man of integrity who deals in “straight talk.” They have promoted his image as a hero who fought bravely for his...

The War On Merit

America faces a serious threat. It comes from a war being fought within our own borders. The war is on merit, and it may ultimately decide the fate of our society. One place this war is being fought, and lost, is in the U.S. Army. The losers are the Army Rangers, the...

Cultural Bias and the SAT

Cultural Bias and the SAT

Ever since racial quotas in college admissions were banned by Proposition 209 in California and by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in Texas, academics and politicians have been racking their brains to come up with something that would allow quotas to continue under...

Compassionate Liberalism: The Senate’s Charity Case

Now we know which political party is truly the Party of the Little People. Noble Senate Democrats have come to the aid of a downtrodden woman. They are furiously passing the plate for this destitute soul, pulling out all the stops to help her get back on her feet. Who...

Stock Market: Reasons for Hope and Worry

The date was Dec. 5, 1996. The scene was the ballroom of the Washington Hilton Hotel. The speaker was Alan Greenspan, the chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, keeper of the nation’s money. He had been droning on for 45 minutes with an address on the 83-year...

Hollywood’s Celebrity Bush Bashers

Get ready for the red-carpet parade of egos. It’s Oscar time again. Millions will tune in this weekend to gawk and swoon as the world’s most famous actors and actresses celebrate their favorite subject — themselves. As the night of a thousand stars...

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